Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-09-08

ak on won't do. boy" screamed Miss
smith, so shriily that John Doty, who
was blowing in an adjoining field,
stopped his oxen and looked wonder
ingly across at the ''old Smith place, +"
rs 1t was locally called, while Sa-
mantha Mason, Miss. Smiths '.hired
help" rushed bare-armed from the
kitchen, with a vague impression that
Miss Smith was in Mysteries.
81 can't hire any one as deaf as you
are, and run the risk of breaking a
blood-vessel hollering to you," con-
tinued Miss Smith in the same high
key, as Tad stood COMPOUNDED and de-
spondent at her abrupt refusal; ''be-
sides. I'm not so hard of hearing as
all that comes TO, and your voice goes
through my head like knife
with which concluding ejaculation
Miss Smith put her hands to the
sides of her pasteboard sun-bonnet and
shuddered. "Why, ain It deaf, marmr'
wonderingly exclaimed Tad. dropping
his voice several octaves. land /
wouldn't have spoke so loud only Joe
said vou was hard of hearing, an if he
was me he'd speak up good and loud. {"
Joe could stand it no longer. With
an explosive yell of laughter he lodged
through the gate, and, dropping in the
green sward, at a safe distance,
doubled himself up in an ecstasy of I'M
seemly mirth.
Joe Whitney, gasped Miss Smith,
starting to her feet and shaking her
finger threatening in the direction of
the PROSTATE practical joker. as the
truth of the matter flashed across her
mind. ''you see if your father don't
hear of this, sir!''
But her indignation was always
short lived. and gradually grim smile
softened the hard lines of her face,
though the overshaGowing head-gear
hid it from Tad's anxious gaze.
''And so you want place, eh?' she
said. abruptly, but not unkindly. as
she turned her sharp gray eyes full
upon Tad, who was looking reproach-
fully at Joe as, having risen. he
cautiously advanced within earshot
IF you please, marm," was the re-
spectful answer, and Tad looked plead
ingly up at the maiden lady as he
spoke. Something in his thin, pale
face moved Miss Smiths heart Curl
ouslv.
The boys who had worked for heI
from time to time had generally been
unintelligent, brown-faced boys, with
large appetites and tenency 10 idle
away as much time as they possibly
could.
Hes got look 1 kind of ike,
though he is pindling sort of boy"
thought Miss Smith, rubbing her nose
refiectively.
''Don't you dare enter that gate,
Joseph Whitney, she exclaimed, With
sudden energy, as Joe, with traces of
his recent mirth on his features, edged
himself along the front fence.
mo, marm," responded Joe, in a
voice suggestive of the deepest contri-
ton. Affecting to be overcome with
remorseful sorrow, he applied a small
red-boardered cotton handkerchief to
his eyes, and sobbed Historically, after
which, twisting it between his fingers,
he feigned to wiring tears of bitter
grief from its folds.
Turning her back upon the arch dis
sembler, Miss Smith proceeded to put
Tad through q rapid course of question
ing. Did he smoke or swear? Had he
been vaccinated? Were his father and
mother living? Had he been to SCHOOL,
What church did he attendP-and a
few other queries, of similar import
On all points except that of church
going Tad's answers were very salts
factory; and Miss Smith graciously adj
mitted that his lack of clothes was q
tolerably reasonable excuse for his de-
ficiency in that one respect.
TO BE CONTINUED